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December 13, 2005
Family Recipe Makeover
Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have to give up those favorite recipes mom use to make. Just give them a makeover by trying these fat reducing tips:
1. Reduce the fat content in homemade baked goods by substituting unsweetened applesauce, pureed prunes, or another pureed fruit for half of the oil, shortening, margarine, or butter.
2. Make soup or stew ahead of time, then refrigerate and skim off the hardened fat on top before reheating to serve. For each tablespoon you remove, you skim off more than 100 calories!
3. Fat-free sour cream or yogurt can easily replace full-fat sour cream in a chilled dip without a change in quality.
4. Lighten up packaged mixes by trying lower-fat options in preparation. Use half of the oil called for in packaged pasta salad mixes, or try using low fat or skim milk when making instant pudding.
5. Fortify the taste of low-fat dishes with fat-free seasonings, spices, and herbs. Mix garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper and gently press onto the surface of meat, poultry, or fish prior to grilling for extra snap.
6. Use half the amount of chocolate chips or nuts called for in a recipe. Or substitute with raisins or other dried fruits.
7. Campbell's makes a line of Healthy Request soups which are lower in fat and sodium than the regular versions. Choose these when your recipe calls for a cream soup.
8. One egg is equal to 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup of egg substitute. You can save almost 6 grams of fat per egg by using this substitution.
Fat is a key ingredient in cooking, so it may take some experimenting until you find a recipe you like. In baked goods, fat tenderizes, adds moisture, and affects the shape of the finished product. Fat also carries, blends and stabilizes flavors. It will also add a creamy texture to sauces and dips. Modifying recipes to make them low in fat is possible, but it's not necessary to go completely fat-free. Are bodies need fat for many reasons such as to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, insulate our bodies and protect our organs. AND as far as cooking goes - we want food to taste good!
Posted by Lisa at December 13, 2005 09:13 AM
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